I live and work in Arizona. I live with my parents and pay $800 in rent. I make $70,000 as an Associate Product Manager no stock, 6% 401k match. I see online that a Google APM makes $138,000. But cost of living calculators online indicate that to maintain my standard of living of a $70,000 salary in Arizona would be $140,000 in San Francisco and $179,000 in New York. Aren’t I technically being compensated the same? What am I missing here? Why should I suddenly pack my bags and move to California and New York only to maintain the same, maybe even less standard of living? My mom cooks for me and everything and for dates I just book an Airbnb. I get to help my parents around as well with their private business. I’m working on the latest tech at Amex; microservices, APIs, Kubernetes, etc. I’m 26 with about $200,000 in savings, investments, retirement money.
It’s not what you make. It’s what you keep
What does this mean?
It means that how much you can save/spend matters in the end of the day.
Idk if I’d say you’re killing it, but you seem happy. That’s all that matters
Unrelated but don’t have your mom cook and clean for you. It’s really rude. My dads 60 now and still has his 80 yo mom cook and clean for him. It’s fucked up, better to hop off that train earlier than later.
Yeah I guess I phrased it wrong. I definitely help around the house especially with cooking. It’s just I need my mom present in the kitchen otherwise it just doesn’t taste good. There’s just something in her recipe.
Your quality of life will not change significantly at a FANG, the next rung up is the 500k mark. In fact, it could get worse because San Francisco is going downhill. The one benefit would be that you’ll probably have an easier time getting phone screens after you work at one.
Good point. I guess FAANG has a lot of potential for upward mobility in total compensation.
Great , with remote work you could still stay where you are and earn more money . So you don't have to technically move anywhere. Does that work for you ?
That’s a good point. Though how long will remote work last? Another year? I’d be called into the offices sooner or later.
No pick a job only based on one condition that you want 100% remote .
If you’re happy you’re happy. I do think you’d have more disposable income in a high COL area even if you make 138k. Obviously that’s not be all end all. With your YOE I’d imagine you’d make more than that in some places though.
I would think the motivation is not for the life you have now but for the one you want later.
You are doing really good OP. Don't fall into the rat race. Spend time with your family, enjoy your dates, help your parents in business, those are small things in life that make you happy. Don't leave a good life just to get a slight increment in TC.
Had the same debate. Make $90k in LCOL and will make $110 in another year or two. Good money for the area and my age. It’s crazy how disproportionately incomes scale at tech in HCOL areas though. Suddenly if I live a modest life in tech I can look at working 10 years and banking a million plus pretty easily. In LCOL making 100-150 that’ll take me 5-10 years longer, at minimum. That’s life-changing to me.
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You look happy and that is what it takes to follow own path. Meanwhile why associate product manager is working on tech stack? Just asking.
I’m a product manager on infrastructure. I used to be a software engineer and have a degree in compsci.
Aah, that explains. You are totally killing it. Moving to FANG does not guarantee that you will get to work on what you like.